NOTE: The original source for this recipe is Page 59 of the
Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. I am posting the recipe I’ve saved for myself with some notes from several years of canning this recipe. This recipe & the Blackberry Merlot Wine Jelly recipe are the two most requested by family & friends. If you have any questions on the recipe, I’ll do my best to answer them.
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Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
Ingredients:
3/4 pound jalapeno peppers before cleaning (use mostly red jalapenos for pretty color)
2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)
6 cups sugar
2 3-ounce pouches Ball Liquid Pectin [or 1 box ‘dry’ Sure-Jell ‘original’ - box color is yellow]
Green food coloring (optional if using green peppers)
Yield:
about 5 half-pint jars (I typically get 6 jars for sure)
Prep:
Wash peppers under cold running water drain.
Remove stems & seeds.
Puree peppers with 1 cup cider vinegar in a food processor or blender - I cut them into chunks before putting in processor.
Cook [LIQUID pectin]: Original BALL RECIPE uses liquid
Combine pepper puree, 1 cup cider vinegar & sugar in a large saucepan.
Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Boil 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add Pectin (liquid).
Bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Skim off foam if necessary.
Cook [DRY pectin]: METHOD I USE - CHEAPER, WORKS GREAT!
Do not add the sugar in the first boil, but added the DRY pectin instead
Bring mixture (vinegar, pepper puree, pectin) to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
Add the sugar, pre-measured, all at once.**
Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min.,
stirring constantly.
** Do NOT have a heart attack when you see the sugar clumps - stay calm & keep stirring & breaking the clumps up against the side of the pot. You will have time to break them all up before the mixture returns to that full rolling boil!!
Fill:
Ladle into jelly jar leaving 1/4 inch headspace
Process:
Half-pint jars for 10 minutes at a rolling boil, covered.
Turn off heat, remove cover, let jars cool for 5 minutes.
Cool 12 hours, check seals, label & store.